Thursday 27 August 2026 07:30 UTC
Hormuz Stays Closed as Energy Strikes Escalate
In the 24 hours ending 27 August at 07:30 UTC, Iran said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed. Tehran demanded an end to the US naval blockade and fighting in Lebanon.
Iran and Oman continued talks on a temporary shipping route. No agreement was final. Donald Trump, the US president, said 10 million oil barrels crossed the strait the previous day. Oil prices fell more than 3%.
An unknown projectile struck another tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. The crew extinguished a fire, and nobody was hurt.
Russia’s Kstovo oil refinery shut completely after a Ukrainian drone attack caused major damage. All major Russian refineries owned by Lukoil were reported offline.
Russia is considering heavier missile attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian infrastructure. Moscow believes peace talks have reached a dead end. Both sides have increased attacks on energy sites and ports.
Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, threatened a harsh response to attacks on Russian economic infrastructure. However, there were no signs that Russia was preparing to use nuclear weapons.
John Ratcliffe, the CIA director, visited Moscow for talks with Russian intelligence officials. Putin did not attend but received a briefing. Trump called the visit routine, and its purpose remained undisclosed.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, rejected a diplomatic agreement with Iran after talks with Trump. Mohammad Eslami, Iran’s nuclear chief, said inspectors still could not safely enter Iranian nuclear sites.
Iran and Russia held talks on a gas project through Azerbaijan. The project would carry Russian gas to the Iranian border at Astara.
Chinese state-backed hackers entered systems at several major US government bodies. Targets included NASA, the Federal Reserve, the Senate and several departments. US authorities seized platforms used in the attacks and disrupted the operation.
Flash floods near the Nepal–Tibet border killed at least 95 people. Hundreds remained missing, including 33 British citizens. Floods and mudslides destroyed roads, bridges, homes, power lines and water-energy facilities.
The Trump administration plans to designate Palestine Action as a global terrorist organization. The designation would impose major sanctions on the protest group.
Meta agreed to pay US states at least $11.66 billion. The settlement covers claims that its platforms harmed children. Payments could rise to $16.68 billion, while other lawsuits remain.
US economic growth reached an annual rate of 1.5% during the second quarter. Consumer spending rose 3.4%, but inflation remained high. Annual core inflation reached 3.3%, supporting expectations that interest rates will remain unchanged in September.
Anthropic agreed to lease a data centre from Nscale for a reported $45 billion. The deal adds to heavy spending on infrastructure for artificial intelligence.
The United Kingdom plans to invest up to £71 million to restart the Hemerdon tungsten mine. The government will gain an ownership stake and access to half its planned output.
US forces struck a vessel in Caribbean waters. The attack killed four people accused of involvement in drug trafficking.
Tim Curry, the British actor known for The Rocky Horror Picture Show, died aged 80.